Operating table for pigs



Feb. 19, 1957 OPERATING TABLE FOR PIGS w. DUFFY 2,781,740

Filed Dec. 6, 1955 4 52 so FIE 51.5

INVEN TOR. Jbszm/ M Parry vgudh 9/ 4 6 Arroxus/s United States Patent OPERATING TABLE FORPIGS Joseph w; nuir ,o idnam, S. Dak. Application December 6, 1955,'Serial N0. 551,296 10 Claims. (c1. 11'9-'-10s)"-- My invention relates to improvements in devices for holdingzsmall pigs while they are castrated and the primary object is to. provide means intowhich thepig; may be' quickly placed, firmly. held inconvenient posture forthis necessary operation and then: quickly released after the operation is completed. In furtherance of this object of my invention 1 provide means of thisnature which will hold the animal without injury thereto but so firmly that the operation may be carried out expeditiously,--,without danger of any damageto the animal.

Another object of my inventionds to provide galittle pig holder which is easy to use and operate by .one man i and which may be readily adjusted accordingto-the sizeof the individual animal.

Still another object is to provide a device forthis purpose which is simple and inexpensive in construction, durable and equipped with a folding-stand so'that the-pig is held at a most convenient level for operation.

These and other more detailed and specific objects willbe disclosed in the course of the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying-drawings, in which 1 Fig. l is a side elevation of my device'in its operative position, holding a small pig in position for: castration.

Fig. 2 is' an end view. i

Fig; 3 is a top plan view of the devic e alone; 7

Figs; 4 and 5 are, respectively, enlarged cross sectional detail views along the lines 4-4 and 5 --5 in Fig.1. 7

Referring now more particularly. and by reference 0 numerals to the drawing-it will be seen that myinvention consists of an upper member-or section designated gen-- erally at 10 and a lower member or section 11, the latter having a base board 12 of rectilinear shape to *which platform legs 13 -44 are hingedjat- 1 5; 'lliese 'legs, conveniently made up from angle iron in the shape shown,-; 7

may be folded toward each other andlupwardlyg toward the underside of base board 12 as indicated inthe dotted lines in Fig. 1 when the device is not in use butwhen swung apart and downwardly to-vertical positions cannot swing beyond such positions due to location of; the hinges 15 onthe inner edges'of the legs. tie rod 16 hooked at its opposite ends 17 connects the legs when they are unfolded tojhold the platform rigid when the device i'sin use.

chute by side"bo'ards18. 1'9 the tormer being secured in place in'a vertical edgewise' position 'alongfone edge o .-the v base board 12 while thelatter is adjustable:crosswiseof I The lower section 11 also includes, reform a tl'0llghf-Ol I v 2,781,740 Patented Feb. 19, 1957 A U'-shaped end bracket 25 of strip iron or the like is secured'tothe base board 12 adjacent one end thereof and has upstanding side bars 26 which project well above the side boards 1819' and are provided with vertically spaced apertures 27 for the selective reception of a hinge bolt 28"threadedat one end to receive a wing nut 29."

Said end bracket also has a longitudinally projectinglug.

30 apertured at 31 near its extremity for a purpose presently to appear.

The upper section 10' in the formof a swinging frame is made up of parallel side bars 3233 of angle iron or the like and at one end these side bars are rigidly connected by a cross plate 34 in which are openings 35. At the opposite enda-cross bar 36 rigidly joins the side bars '3233 and in an intermediate location an adjustable cross plate 37extends between the side bars. latter slides along the inwardly turned flanges 38 of the. side bars (Fig. 4) and is conveniently held against up ward displacement by welding an inwardly turned bead 39 along the upper edges of the bars. Like the stationary cross'plate 34the' movable plate 37 is provided with trans-' versely spaced openings ill andin addition plate 37 has a longitudinally extending tongue bar 41 and a tapering hold down plate 42 (Fig.3).

Hinge bars 43 are welded or otherwise secured on" edge t'o'the cross bar 36 and extend'therefrom longitudinal ly acrossthe inner (or outer) sides of the side bars 26,--

said hinge bars being apertured' (riot shown) to pass the hingefibolt28to thus mount the upper section 10 for swingingmovements upwardly and downwardly at its opposite end, with reference to the lower section or trough 11'; One of said hinge bars'43; the one 'over the aforesaid Iug SG; has an upwardly extending end 4d apertured' at 45' and' a-retr'actile coilspring 4'6is'ho0ked at its ends into the apertures 31'45 to pull-downwardlyonthe' end of section 10 and thus tend to' raise the opposite or free end ofthe section with respect to lower section l1.

The-aforesaid tongue bar 41 has a series of longitudinab ly spacedapertures-Mandas best seen in'Fig. 5 this bar I extends endwisebetween the sides 48 of an inverted U- shaped element 49 secured at 50*:0 the cross bar 36; This is partof a latch assembly designated generally at 51' in Figs. l-ian'd includesavertical latch plunger or keeper 52 slidably'mounted downwardly through'the top of ele ment wand the cross bar 36 and: adapted to selectively engage any ofthe aforesaid apertures The plunger 52 is biased in a downward direction by an expansion coil spring 5 3 coiled around the plunger and braced between the top of elem'ent 49 'and'a collar de fixed to the piunger but the pliinger may be raised against the bias of' the. springiand to clearthe tongue bar 1 1 by a knob 55. Obviously the spacing between the cross plates 34 37 maybe readily adjusted by'manipulation of this latch" assembly. 1

. Completing the device is a flexible restraining or. holddown 'strap56 conne'ctingthe' side'boards 1i-19 and extending over-the upper member iii adjacent the end. opposite--the hingetherefor; said strap being provided I with any conventional form of buckle 7 5'7 or analogous fastener 58'."

In the use 'of the device the pigto be' operated upon is laid in th'e trough or chute formed by. the base and nuts 24; By loosening -the win-g;nut24' side board- ;j 19 may be adjusted, by virtue of the notches 22,; and. then secured in place by ire-tightening the wingnuts'as will be readily appreciated. Itmight be note'd ati'this pointtliat a the overalllengtli of both of the sections 10 11 is" greater side boards 12, 18, 19 and the, upper section' 10 is'the'nj swungidownwar dlyso-thatthe pigs front and; rear feet project upwardly through the openings 40' and 35 respec-' tively in the::ero'ssplates' -ifland3 E. The wid tliofthe'f' V trough; and the distance between-the openings35 4llare both adjusted to suit the size of the pig as previously described. The strap 57 is then pulled taut and the pig is firmly held in a position in which the castrating operation may be readily and quickly performed, following which it is only necessary to release the strap and the spring 46 will swing the upper section upwardly releasing the pig. The plate 42 holds the pigs head down and the pig is so firmly held that he cannot injure himself while the operation of putting the pig in place, fastening him there and then releasing him may be rapidly performed that one man may do the job with a minimum expenditure of time and eifort. When not in use the device may be compactly stored away by folding the platform legs 1314 as aforesaid. In addition to the adjustment of the side boards 18-19 and spacing between the leg openings -49 theentire upper section 10 may be raised or lowered to suit the size of the animal by placing the.

hinge bolt 28 in an appropriate pair of the apertures 27 and thus the device is fully adjustable to all sizes of animals and to their varying proportions.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for holding an animal while it is operated upon, comprising a trough-like lower member of U-shaped cross section to receive the animal in an inverted position, a swinging upper section hinged at one end to said lower member and adapted when the animal is in place to be swung downwardly, said upper section having openings to receive the front and rear legs of the animal, and means for releasably holding the upper section downward to restrain the animal and hold it in said lower member.

2. A device of the character described for holding a small pig while it is castrated, comprising in combination, upper and lower sections and the latter being a U-shaped trough to receive the pig in an inverted position, the upper section having plate members apertured to receive and hold the feet of the pig, means for hinging the two sections together so that they may be opened to release the pig, and means for holding the sections together and thereby holding the pig in said trough.

3. A device of the character described for holding a small pig while it is castrated, comprising in combination, upper and lower sections and the latter being a U-shaped trough to receive the pig in an inverted position, the upper section having plate members apertured to receive and hold the feet of the pig, means for hinging the two sections together so that they may be opened to release the pig, means for holding the sections together and thereby holding the pig in said trough, and means for adjusting the spacing between the plate members according to the length of the pig.

4. A device of the character described for holding a small pig while it is castrated, comprising in combination, upper and lower sections and the latter being a U-shaped trough to receive the pig in an invertedposition, the upper section having plate members apeltured to receive and hold the feet of the pig, means for hinging the two sec-v tions together so that they may be opened to release the pig, means for holding the sections together and thereby holding the pig in said trough, the trough having a base board and spaced apart side boards thereon, and means adjustably mounting at least one of said sideboards according to thewidth of the pig to be held.

5. In a pig holder for holding small pigs while they are castrated, a lower section having a base board and a pair of side boards mounted thereon and forming an open ended trough to hold a pig in an inverted position legs up, an upper section having side bars and cross members connecting the same, means at one end hinging the upper section to the lower section for upward and downward movement of the opposite end of the upper section with respect to the lower, a pair of the cross members having spaced apart openings to receive the four legs of the pig, means for holding the upper section downwardly against the pig, and means for adjusting the hinge means to vary the position thereof relative to the lower section according to the vertical proportions of the pig.

6. In a pig holder for holding small pigs while they are castrated, a lower section having a base board and a pair of side boards mounted thereon and forming an open ended trough to hold a pig in an inverted position legs up, an upper section having side bars and cross members connecting the same,means at one end hinging the upper section to the lower section for upward and downward movement of the opposite end of the upper section with respect to the lower, a pair of the cross members having spaced apart openings to receive the four legs of the pig, means for holding the upper section downwardly against the pig, means for adjusting the hinge means to vary the position thereof relative to the lower according to the vertical proportions of the pig, means for adjusting one of the said side boards to vary the spacing thereof according to the width of the pig, and means for adjusting one of said cross members having said openings according to the lengthof the pig.

7. In a pig holder for holding small pigs while they are castrated, a lower section having a base board and a pair of side boards mounted thereon and forming an open ended trough to hold a pig in an inverted position legs up, an upper section having side bars and cross members connecting the same, means at one end hinging the upper section to the lower section for upward and downward movement of the opposite end of the upper section with respect to the lower, a pair of the cross members having spaced apart openings to receive the four legs of the pig, means for holding the upper section downwardly against the pig, means for adjusting the hinge means to vary the position thereof relative to the lower according to the vertical proportions of the pig, and a hold down plate between the side bars for holding the pigs head down.

8. In a pig holder for holding small pigs while they are castrated, a lower section having a base board and a pair of side boards mounted thereon and forming an open ended trough to hold a pig in an inverted position legs up, an upper section having side bars and cross members connecting the same, means at one end hinging the upper section to the lower section for upward and downward movement of the opposite end of the upper section with respect to the lower, a pair of the cross members having spaced apart openings to receive the four legs of the pig, means for holding the upper section downwardly against the pig, and a spring operatively arranged to normally swing the said upper section upwardly to release the pig.

9.'In a pig holder for holding small pigs while they are castrated, a lower section having a base board and a pair of side boards mounted thereon and forming an open ended trough to hold a pig in a inverted position legs up, an upper section having side bars and cross members connecting'the same, means at one end hinging the upper section to the lower section for upward and downward movement of the opposite end of the upper section with respect to the lower, a pair of the cross membershaving spaced apart openings to receive the four legs of the pig, means for holding the upper seetlon downwardly against the pig, a tongue bar cxtending from one of said cross members having the said openings and means slidably mounting that cross memher for movements lengthwise of the side bars, said tongue bar having a series of apertures, and a latch assembly having a spring biased and manually retractable plunger for selectively engaging said apertures and thereby adusting the spacing between the cross members having ltahedopemngs according to the length of the pig being 10. In a pig holder for holding small pigs while they are castrated, a lower section having a base board and a pair of side boards mounted thereon and forming an open ended trough to hold a pig in an inverted position legs up, an upper section having side bars and cross mem bers connecting the same, means at one end hinging the upper section to the lower section for upward and downward movement of the opposite end of the upper section with respect to the lower, a pair of the cross members having spaced apart openings to receive the four legs 10 of the pig, means for holding the upper section downwardly against the pig, and means for adjusting the hinge means to vary the position thereof relative to the lower according to the vertical proportions of the pig, the said means forholding the upper section downward consisting of a buckled strap secured to the side boards and passing over the said upper section.

No references cited. 

